Athletic training implement and method

ABSTRACT

An athletic training implement is provided. The implement has a light emitting device, such as a laser, affixed thereto such that a beam of narrow light is emitted from the training implement that is indicative of the path of movement of the implement. In a training method, a chart is provided having a pattern thereon. As such, the user can be trained in the use of the athletic implement by repetitively causing the beam of light to follow the pattern on the chart so that a smooth, consistent movement of the athletic training implement can be learned by the user. The pattern on the chart may have a plurality of lines which may be straight or curved and can be horizontal vertical, or diagonal depending on the movement desired to be taught the user. While particularly adapted for training for the use of a lacrosse stick, other athletic implements may be used.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an athletic implement useful in the training of a person for an athletic event and, more particularly, to a device that allows a user to perform specific training for an event concerning the movement of the athletic implement and to a method for performing that training.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In general, there are many athletic implements used in various athletic events that require a rather specific pattern of movement by the user. Typically, the implements include lacrosse sticks, baseball bats, ice hockey sticks, field hockey sticks, tennis racquets and the like.

The achieving of a smooth, consistent movement of a sporting implement is important and an instructor is often needed to teach the particular movement dictated by a specific athletic implement and then observe the student who continues to carry out repetitive duplications of the instructed movement to achieve the smooth, consistent movement needed for that athletic implement.

One of the difficulties with teaching a user the movements of an athletic implement, however, is that it requires a fairly constant watch by the instructor to made sure that the user is faithfully carrying out the desired, instructed movement for the particular athletic implement such that the time of the instructor is taken up by continuous or at least semi-continuous observation of the student and correction of the movements of that student.

It would therefore be advantageous to have an athletic implement that could be employed by the user to carry out repetitive movements of the athletic implement along the desired path of movement such that the user could carry out the repetitive moves alone and without or at least with only minimal actual observation by an instructor so that the instructor can teach multiple users at the same time and yet be assured that each user was faithfully carrying out the instructed movement of the athletic implement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention overcomes the aforesaid problems and difficulties by providing an improved athletic implement that includes an athletic implement having a light emitter affixed thereto such that the light emitter directs a narrow beam of light outwardly from the athletic implement. The athletic implement is generally of the type that has a handle with a longitudinal axis such that the beam of light directed by the light emitter is in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the handle of the athletic implement.

As will be appreciated, the present invention can be directly incorporated into an athletic implement by the manufacturer thereof, or, alternatively, can be produced separately and added onto or retrofitted to existing or currently marketed athletic implements.

In an exemplary embodiment, the light emitter can be a laser and the athletic implement can be a lacrosse stick such that the beam of light is emitted along the longitudinal axis of the handle, past the basket and there is a simple bracket system used to affix the light emitter to the lacrosse stick to direct the light beam along that path.

In the method of the invention, there is a chart having a pattern that mimics the desired movement of a lacrosse player such that the user can direct the beam of light along a particular line on the pattern and make repetitive moves that track that line to develop a smooth and consistent movement of the lacrosse stick. Thus, the method can be used to train a user in the proper motion of a lacrosse stick in playing the game of lacrosse.

The invention is applicable to other athletic implements to improve the manipulation of athletic implements employed in other sports.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a lacrosse stick constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating the assembly of a light emitting device to the lacrosse stick of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a method of the present invention in using the lacrosse stick of FIG. 1 to train a user thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a side view of a lacrosse stick 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention. As will be seen, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention shown and described herein, the athletic implement is a lacrosse stick and the use of the present method to instruct in the use of a lacrosse stick, however, it will be readily seen that the present invention is applicable to other athletic implements, that is, equipment or devices for other athletic events where the movement of an athletic implement is utilized, including, but not limited to, baseball, golf, ice hockey, field hockey, tennis and the like.

As such, in FIG. 1, there can be seen the lacrosse stick 10 having an elongated handle 12 and a basket 14 at the distal end of the handle 12. The basket 14 itself has a webbing 16 to hold the ball and that webbing 16 is supported by a rim 18 having a forward edge 20. Normally, the handle 12 is a modified octagonal cross sectional shape; however other cross sectional shapes may be utilized consistent with the spirit of the present invention.

There is a light emitter 22 affixed to the lacrosse stick 10 and, as can be seen, the light emitter 22 emits a light beam 24 of very narrow light. In an exemplary embodiment, the light emitter is a laser and may be one of a variety of commercially available lasers.

The light emitter 22 is affixed to the handle 12 of the lacrosse stick 10 by means of a housing 26 having a bracket 28 that may be a single molded part or the bracket 28 may in some other manner affix the light emitter 22 to the handle 12. The housing 26 has a chamber 30 for mounting the light emitter 22 therein.

The light emitter 22 emits the light beam 24 in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the handle 12 so that the light beam 24 travels along the open side of the basket 14 proximate to the forward edge 20 of the basket 14. By proximate, it is meant that the light beam 24 may pass just above the forward edge 20 of the basket 14 at a distance of less than about 2 inches.

Turning now to FIG. 2, taken along with FIG. 1, there is shown an exploded view illustrating the various components used in mounting the light emitter 22 to the handle 12 of the lacrosse stick 10. A bracket 32 is used in order to be connected to bracket 28 with the handle 12 of the. acrosse stick 10 sandwiched therebetween. There are suitable openings 34 in the bracket 28 and there are threaded openings 36 in the bracket 32 such that threaded bolts 38 can pass through the bracket 28 and be tightened into bracket 32 to compress the brackets 28, 32 together to affix the brackets 28, 32 as well as the light emitter 32 to the handle 12 of the lacrosse stick 10.

Obviously, there are other means that could be used to affix the brackets 28, 32 as well as the light emitter 22 to the handle 12 of the lacrosse stick 10, it being of importance that the light emitter 22 be preferable located near the distal end of the lacrosse stick 10 and also that the light beam 24 be directed generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lacrosse stick 10.

Turning now to FIG. 3, there is shown a perspective view illustrating the method of training a user in the use of the lacrosse stick 10. In this Fig., the user 40 holds the lacrosse stick 10 and manipulates it by hand to simulate various typical moves made by a lacrosse player in playing the game. There is a chart 42 provided and may be free standing or mounted on a wall and which has a pattern 44 of desired movements of the lacrosse stick 10 that are the smooth and natural desired movement of the lacrosse stick 10 for the various types of playing movements. For example, the pattern 44 may simulate the act of a player manipulating the lacrosse stick 10 to pick up the ball from the ground, passing the ball to another player or shooting at the goal, all of which can utilize different motions of the lacrosse stick 10.

For example, the pattern 44 may include horizontal lines 46, vertical lines 48 and/or diagonal lines 50. Those lines may be straight or arcuate. As such, the user 40 can move the lacrosse stick 10 such that the light beam 24 can track the particular line indicative of the movement that the user 40 is intending to learn and the user 40 can then carry out repetitive movements tracking that line or lines to gain a natural smooth motion of the lacrosse stick 10 in the manner that an instructor desires.

As such, there is an advantage in that the instructor can initially pick out a particular movement and instruct the user 40 to repeat that movement by tracking the line with the light beam 24 in a continuous manner while the instructor goes on to another person and the instructor will be assured that the user is faithfully carrying out the proper movements of the lacrosse stick 10.

Those skilled in the art will readily recognize numerous adaptations and modifications which can be made to the athletic implement of the present invention and method of training a user in the use of the implement which will result in an improved implement and method, yet all of which will fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined in the following claims. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the following claims and their equivalents. 

1. An improved athletic implement for use in an athletic event, comprising: an athletic implement for use in an athletic event; a light emitter affixed to the athletic implement adapted to direct a narrow beam of light indicative of the movement of the device.
 2. The athletic implement of claim 1 wherein the light emitter is a laser.
 3. The athletic implement of claim 1 wherein the athletic implement has an elongated handle and the light directed from the light emitter travels in a path that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the handle.
 4. The athletic implement of claim 1 wherein the athletic implement is a lacrosse stick.
 5. The athletic implement of claim 4 wherein lacrosse stick has a handle and a basket having a front edge and the light emitting device is affixed to the handle and the path of the light is proximate to the front edge of the basket.
 6. The athletic implement of claim 1 wherein the light emitter is affixed to the athletic implement by the use of a pair of brackets, one of which encloses the light emitter.
 7. The athletic implement of claim 1 wherein one bracket has a chamber for enclosing the light emitter.
 8. The athletic implement of claim 7 wherein brackets are bolted together to sandwich the handle therebetween.
 9. A light emitting device for attaching to an athletic implement comprising: a pair of brackets; one of the brackets having affixed thereto a chamber containing a light emitter; the brackets being adaptable to be affixed together sandwiching a part of an athletic implement therebetween.
 10. The light emitting device of claim 9 wherein the athletic implement is an athletic implement having an elongated handle.
 11. The light emitting device of claim 9 wherein a pair of brackets sandwich the elongated handle therebetween.
 12. The light emitting device of claim 9 wherein the light emitting device is located within a chamber that is integral with one of the brackets
 13. The light emitting device of claim 9 wherein the light emitting device is a laser.
 14. The light emitting device of claim 9 wherein the brackets retain the light emitting device to emit the light beam generally along the longitudinal axis of the elongated handle.
 15. A method of training a person in the use of an athletic implement comprising the steps of: providing an athletic implement having a light emitter for emitting a narrow beam of light; providing a chart having at least one pattern thereon; moving the athletic implement along a path that causes the beam of light to trace the at least one pattern on the chart.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the chart has a plurality of patterns.
 17. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one pattern includes at least one of a horizontal line, a vertical line and a diagonal line.
 18. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one pattern includes a horizontal line, a vertical line and a diagonal line
 19. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of providing an athletic implement comprises providing lacrosse stick.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of providing a lacrosse stick comprises providing a lacrosse stick having the light emitter affixed to the handle of the lacrosse stick. 